Annotation

This article describes the formation of the Russian regular army, which unfolded under the rise of absolutism. It notes that over its thousand-year existence, the Russian armed forces underwent several organizational changes, evolving from a prince's retinue to a modern mass army. The most significant changes in its organization occurred in the Russian Empire, where the model of a regular army with a clear hierarchy and strict discipline was first established. The article provides a comparative analysis of a professional army recruited through conscription and a regular mass army formed through universal military service, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each. The scientific novelty of this publication lies in its attempt to examine the processes occurring in the armed forces within the context of the accompanying social and economic conditions.